Away-side azimuthal distribution in a Markovian parton scattering model

An event generator is constructed on the basis of a model of multiple scattering of partons so that the trajectory of a parton traversing a dense and expanding medium can be tracked. The parameters in the code are adjusted to fit the \Delta\phi azimuthal distribution on the far side when the trigger momentum is in the non-perturbative region, p_T(trigger)<4 GeV/c. The dip-bump structure for 1<p_T(assoc)<2.5 GeV/c is reproduced by averaging over the exit tracks of deflected jets. An essential characteristic of the model, called Markovian Parton Scattering (MPS) model, is that the scattering angle is randomly selected in the forward cone at every step of a trajectory that is divided into many discrete steps in a semi-classical approximation of the non-perturbative scattering process. Energy loss to the medium is converted to thermal partons which hadronize by recombination to give rise to the pedestal under the bumps. When extended to high trigger momentum with \pt(trigger) >8 GeV/c, the model reproduces the single-peak structure observed by STAR without invoking any new dynamical mechanism.Comment: 20 pages + 3 figure

Baryon number and strangeness: signals of a deconfined antecedent

The correlation between baryon number and strangeness is used to discern the nature of the deconfined matter produced at vanishing chemical potential in high-energy nuclear collisions at the BNL RHIC. Comparisons of results of various phenomenological models with correlations extracted from lattice QCD calculations suggest that a quasi-particle picture applies. At finite baryon densities, such as those encountered at the CERN SPS, it is demonstrated that the presence of a first-order phase transition and the accompanying development of spinodal decomposition would significantly enhance the number of strangeness carriers and the associated fluctuations.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, latex, to appear in the proceedings of the Workshop on Correlations and Fluctuations in Relativistic Nuclear collisions, (MIT, April 21-23,2005

Classical integrability of chiral QCD2QCD_{2} and classical curves

In this letter, classical chiral $QCD_{2}$ is studied in the lightcone gauge $A_{-}=0$. The once integrated equation of motion for the current is shown to be of the Lax form, which demonstrates an infinite number of conserved quantities. Specializing to gauge group SU(2), we show that solutions to the classical equations of motion can be identified with a very large class of curves. We demonstrate this correspondence explicitly for two solutions. The classical fermionic fields associated with these currents are then obtained.Comment: Final version to appear in Mod. Phys. Lett. A. A reference and two footnotes added. 6 pages revte

Energy efficient engine: Preliminary design and integration studies

Parametric design and mission evaluations of advanced turbofan configurations were conducted for future transport aircraft application. Economics, environmental suitability and fuel efficiency were investigated and compared with goals set by NASA. Of the candidate engines which included mixed- and separate-flow, direct-drive and geared configurations, an advanced mixed-flow direct-drive configuration was selected for further design and evaluation. All goals were judged to have been met except the acoustic goal. Also conducted was a performance risk analysis and a preliminary aerodynamic design of the 10 stage 23:1 pressure ratio compressor used in the study engines

The chemical equilibration volume: measuring the degree of thermalization

We address the issue of the degree of equilibrium achieved in a high energy heavy-ion collision. Specifically, we explore the consequences of incomplete strangeness chemical equilibrium. This is achieved over a volume V of the order of the strangeness correlation length and is assumed to be smaller than the freeze-out volume. Probability distributions of strange hadrons emanating from the system are computed for varying sizes of V and simple experimental observables based on these are proposed. Measurements of such observables may be used to estimate V and as a result the degree of strangeness chemical equilibration achieved. This sets a lower bound on the degree of kinetic equilibrium. We also point out that a determination of two-body correlations or second moments of the distributions are not sufficient for this estimation.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, revtex

Influence of firing mechanisms on gain modulation

We studied the impact of a dynamical threshold on the f-I curve-the relationship between the input and the firing rate of a neuron-in the presence of background synaptic inputs. First, we found that, while the leaky integrate-and-fire model cannot reproduce the f-I curve of a cortical neuron, the leaky integrate-and-fire model with dynamical threshold can reproduce it very well. Second, we found that the dynamical threshold modulates the onset and the asymptotic behavior of the f-I curve. These results suggest that a cortical neuron has an adaptation mechanism and that the dynamical threshold has some significance for the computational properties of a neuron.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, conference proceeding

Thermal Hadron Production in High Energy Heavy Ion Collisions

We provide a method to test if hadrons produced in high energy heavy ion collisions were emitted at freeze-out from an equilibrium hadron gas. Our considerations are based on an ideal gas at fixed temperature $T_f$, baryon number density $n_B$, and vanishing total strangeness. The constituents of this gas are all hadron resonances up to a mass of 2 GeV; they are taken to decay according to the experimentally observed branching ratios. The ratios of the various resulting hadron production rates are tabulated as functions of $T_f$ and $n_B$. These tables can be used for the equilibration analysis of any heavy ion data; we illustrate this for some specific cases.Comment: 12 pages (not included :13 figures + tables) report CERN-TH 6523/92 and Bielefeld preprint BI-TP 92/0

Approximating open quantum system dynamics in a controlled and efficient way: A microscopic approach to decoherence

We demonstrate that the dynamics of an open quantum system can be calculated efficiently and with predefined error, provided a basis exists in which the system-environment interactions are local and hence obey the Lieb-Robinson bound. We show that this assumption can generally be made. Defining a dynamical renormalization group transformation, we obtain an effective Hamiltonian for the full system plus environment that comprises only those environmental degrees of freedom that are within the effective light cone of the system. The reduced system dynamics can therefore be simulated with a computational effort that scales at most polynomially in the interaction time and the size of the effective light cone. Our results hold for generic environments consisting of either discrete or continuous degrees of freedom

High-frequency effects in the FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron model

The effect of a high-frequency signal on the FitzHugh-Nagumo excitable model is analyzed. We show that the firing rate is diminished as the ratio of the high-frequency amplitude to its frequency is increased. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the excitable character of the system, and consequently the firing activity, is suppressed for ratios above a given threshold value. In addition, we show that the vibrational resonance phenomenon turns up for sufficiently large noise strength values.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (to appear in Physical Review E